In short, Tessa, at the age of only twenty summers, had worn him down with her persistence, and her father had encouraged her all the way. Alessandro had kissed her in her mother’s garden, willing himself no more. He was reluctant to shatter her precious innocence with his reality.
She’d wanted him with instinctual drive though, for a man of her own, for the monster she barely knew. He’d broken his promise to himself and one night told her everything. As if he’d had any choice. She had become his Hathor, and thanks to Sha’re, he was bound by immutable laws. Tessa should have run from him, rejected him, or turned him over to her father. She hadn’t. She’d offered herself instead.
He’d fed discreetly on a manservant that night, and then on her. Afterwards, the virgin bedded the monster in her own bedroom under her father’s roof, without hesitation, without remorse, and without excuse.
One week later, he’d stolen her from her father.
They’d fled to Ireland and lived as married couple for a year. They kept a home and he fed off males of the lower classes, those he thought wouldn’t be missed—too much. She was happy. At least she’d seemed happy. Right up until she’d died.
Kendra stirred, whimpering in her sleep, driving him back to the present. He wanted her to sleep straight through until sunset, because the moments between waking and feeding would be hard on her. She wasn’t used to it yet, the hunger she now shared with him.
This wasn’t the Old World he told himself. These were completely different times. He could be a new man here. He could keep her alive. She couldn’t be without him now anyway. She walked in a world she didn’t belong to, needed her god to protect her from it.
She finally settled down and he pulled off his clothes, leaving on his boxers lest he offend the fair lady. He slept under the covers this time. It wouldn’t do much to maintain his body temperature, but it was better than nothing.
Next thing he knew, his internal clock had woken him before dusk. If he’d dreamed at all, he’d no recollection of it. Some days he didn’t, and sleep became a timeless void, blocking out time as if it hadn’t existed at all. Other days he was forced to relive his life. Whether he wanted to or not.
He looked over and found Kendra thankfully still sleeping. He had already found where they needed to go on the GSP and knew it wasn’t far. He would break in, take what he needed, and then finally offer her some comfort.
Kendra had stopped him too soon the first time and it hadn’t been satisfying enough for either of them. Tonight he would be deliberate, take his time. He was looking forward to it with an anticipation he hadn’t felt in over a century.
Even though he’d showered and dressed quietly, Kendra was up by the time he’d finished, waiting for him, clutching her clothes, her eyes unnaturally bright in the light from the bathroom. He reached for her with a cool hand, lifting her chin.
Her mouth opened in a gasp, either from the plunge in his body temperature, or the physical contact after hours apart. Alessandro lowered his head and kissed her mouth. She felt warmer now in lieu of his dropping temperature. When he lifted his head he saw her breathless and pink, eyes even brighter than before.
“Go on,” he told her. “We leave soon, and everything will be better.”
She nodded stiffly, then brushed past him and the door closed.
***
Kendra leaned back against the bathroom door trying not to hyperventilate.
What was wrong with her? How could she even consider this? She dropped her clothing on the sink and touched her lips. His temperature had dropped more than she’d expected. He was cold now. Like death.
She felt an ache, a longing she didn’t understand but felt compelled to follow nonetheless. She wanted to go out there and lift her face to his, to expose her throat and invite him, as if it could somehow fill the hole burning her stomach.
“This can’t be happening,” she whispered. “This just can’t be happening.”
Willing herself forward, she showered numbly then dressed in jeans and a purple flannel that cinched in at her waist. She checked the mirror and saw that her bruises were fading. Her neck was the same as last night. Pink and scarred. She didn’t look tired anymore. The bluish tint under her eyes had gone away completely. She looked good. Too good, considering the stress she was under.
“This can’t be happening,” she repeated.
Kendra brushed her teeth, aware, somehow, that he was losing patience and would soon start knocking at the door. She ran her fingers through her hair. Taking one almost normal breath, she joined him.
Alessandro was sitting on the bed she’d slept in, watching her with deep honey eyes.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said.
“Thank you.” She believed it. Other than the fading bruises, she hadn’t looked like this in, well, ever.
He came at her too quickly. Her chin lifted in response and he kissed her once. Taking her hand, the bag they were sharing slung over his shoulder, they left another day behind.
Alessandro handed over his phone after they got in the car. He could find his own way just fine she was sure, but she didn’t argue because she needed the distraction. They weren’t bickering now. They weren’t even talking save her monotone directions. Get off the highway here, turn left, turn right.
Fifteen minutes later they pulled into a Red Cross donation center. It was closed for the day. Alessandro parked away from the street lights, under a pine tree in the far back of the empty lot. She looked at the big cross marquee on the brick building. It made her sick to her stomach.
So this was it. What should she do? What were her options?
No, she couldn’t leave him—
She couldn’t resist him.
She couldn’t do this!
He eased out of the Porsche then came around, bending down on her level. “This won’t take long. I wouldn’t bring you in with me, habibti, but I can’t leave you here alone.”
Nodding, she got out. She was about to break into a Red Cross and help her boyfriend steal blood. Was that even the right word? She had no idea what else to call him.
“This would be easier for you without me,” she said, even though she knew he wouldn’t leave her outside, no matter how hard going in with her was.
“It’s simple. There will be one guard, and he’ll buzz us in.”
“Sure. Simple,” she said as Alessandro’s hand on the small of her back nudged her forward and across the parking lot. He pressed the buzzer and a man answered from the inside.
“Can I help you?”
“Pick up for State Hospital.”
“We’ve nothing scheduled,” the guard said.
Alessandro glanced at Kendra, brows lifted. She had the feeling she was about to see the vampire showing off.
“I think you should look again,” he said, voice honey smooth, like the color of his eyes. “You have a pickup for State Hospital scheduled.”
There was a pause.
“Yes, I see here now,” the man said. “I have a pickup scheduled. I’ll need to see your ID.”
“Of course.” Alessandro held it up to the security camera. It must have been a stolen pass.
“Thank you,” the guard said. “Just go ahead and swipe it and then come on in.”
Alessandro did as he was asked. The lock clicked open and he ushered Kendra inside. She preceded him into the vestibule.
“I just have to take care of something,” he told her.
They went into the guard’s station. The man inside had enough time to look up before Alessandro spoke.
“Sleep,” he said, and the man’s forehead hit the desk with a thump.
“That’s what people do when you speak?” she whispered.
He flashed her a smile. “Everyone but you.”
Alessandro went behind the desk. The monitor for the camera blinked out and she assumed he’d disrupted it with his mind. She watched him go to a cabinet. He picked the lock with something from his pocket and opened it to a series of key cards. He
must’ve found what he was looking for because he grabbed one and closed the door.
“If you can make the camera go out then why can’t you make the doors open too?”
“More complicated, and I’m still navigating your modern world. I may be able to, in time.”
He took her hand, his skin cold on hers. As Kendra went with him she felt a sudden rush of excitement she’d never experienced before.
“This is my first break in,” she whispered.
“And not your last, I’m afraid.”
The key card got him into a back room and they walked down a dimly lit hallway. He stopped her at a door, hands on her shoulders.
“Stay here.” He ducked his head to look her in the eyes. “I’ll leave the door open and be back in a couple minutes.”
“Now you’re leaving me?”
“You don’t want to see this.” He kissed her quickly on the mouth and went in.
The light inside was on a motion sensor. It flashed on. Two seconds later it went back out. Kendra stood there by herself in a sliver of light from the parking lot.
So, he’d drink from her, but allow her to see him feed? No. She figured deliberating on that further might be a bad idea, so she chose not to. She was curious though. She looked into the room. It was too dark to see anything.
“Kendra, stop,” he whispered.
Pursing her lips, she moved away from the door, pressing her back against the wall. She felt lightheaded. Perfect time for her stomach to decide she needed to eat more regularly.
Then she knew he was feeding.
She knew, could feel his need, his thirst. She touched her throat, swallowing dryly. The scars on her neck from his fangs throbbed. His heat and his strength were returning. Her head cleared, and her stomach stopped aching.
Alessandro returned. Sensing his presence before she’d opened her eyes, Kendra reached blindly for him. He lowered his face, kissing her. She tasted the metallic tang still in his mouth, ignoring that it was blood. She’d never wanted anyone more, had never felt so consumed and overwhelmed by it.
Or more confused.
Deeper. Kiss me harder. Please, or I’ll die.
But he didn’t.
He lifted his head. Whimpering, she tried to bend him back to her but he wouldn’t budge.
“Don’t leave me,” she said, shocked by how absurdly needy she sounded.
Alessandro froze, just for a split second, but she felt it in her heart. Had she done something wrong? She wished she could see him better, to read his face, but it was too dark. Damn, she hated feeling needy.
“Not here,” he said finally, sweeping her off her feet and down the corridor. He stopped briefly at the guard’s station. “Wake,” he said. The guard lifted his head, glossy-eyed and with a red circle from where his head had hit the desk. “You never saw us,” Alessandro told him.
He carried Kendra out the door and across the parking lot fast enough to make her head spin. When they reached the car he set her down. Slowly this time, her hip sliding across his stomach. They were hidden in the shadows. She just wanted him to make everything better, to ease the ache inside of her. He brushed her hair back, hands warm and sending heat flushing through her skin in the cold air. She was in agony waiting, wondering what he would do next. Wondering what she should do. How did they go about this bloodletting, anyway?
He touched her neck, her shoulders, her waist. He slipped his arm around her and lifted her chin.
His mouth was warm on her jaw. It worked down her throat, found the place where he’d bitten her before. When his teeth grazed her skin she cried out, choking it quickly because she didn’t want to risk setting off the whole street.
She bit the end of her coat sleeve as his fangs slid into her with a pinch. Kendra didn’t wince, welcoming the intrusion.
Her breath caught in her throat with a gasp, then heaved in spasms. He wasn’t drinking yet. He was waiting for something.
Then the euphoria she’d remembered from the other night seeped over her, working from her neck down through her limbs. When her knees buckled he caught her before his fangs could tear her skin, holding her against his chest.
And then he drank.
Slowly. Every. Drop. Biting down on her sleeve wasn’t working anymore. She pressed her mouth to it, cramming the wool between her lips, hoping no one would hear her and call the police. It probably sounded like he was killing her.
Was he killing her?
She didn’t know. She didn’t care. What a perfect way to die, in complete and utter bliss.
He stopped swallowing and stood there, still joined to her, holding her up because she couldn’t stand on her own. She held onto his head, fingers gripping his hair, knowing he’d leave her soon, and not wanting him to.
This was all they could have?
Alessandro slid his fangs free and she collapsed against him, sobbing. How was life supposed to just go on after that?
He smoothed her hair off her face. It was sticking to her tears. Her throat was sore, and yet—she was still needy.
“More?” she rasped.
“No, habibti.” Alessandro had a well-spring of control that she did not. He lifted her up and tucked her into the car.
Kendra reached for him as he pulled away. “You can’t leave me like this.”
“We can’t stay here and I won’t bed you in a parking lot.”
Bed her? She realized he was right. That was what she wanted, what was missing. He buckled her in like a child who couldn’t do it for herself. The door on her side closed.
She was going to sleep with him.
Maybe not tonight, maybe not tomorrow night. But the night after that... For another woman that might have felt so natural, but she’d only ever been with Jason.
Alessandro joined her and they pulled out. Kendra saw him in a cloud, her eyelids heavy. She hadn’t thought he’d taken very much blood, but she felt so weak in spite of it.
“Sleep,” he said, peeling a lock of hair off her tear-dampened face.
Her eyes drifted closed. His scent was heavy in the air, making her feel dreamy. She breathed it in, slipping away, knowing she was openly allowing him to mesmerize her.
Chapter Eight
She opened her blue eyes and smiled at him. He spoke to her in Egyptian, letting the words of a dead language he had no one to share with roll comfortably off a tongue born to the sound.
She slept again while he drove in silence, leaving him with time to think. There was no way to explain this to her. How could she even begin to comprehend? Himself. Her scent and her taste, the essence of her now inside of him and how that would haunt him forever.
He was getting tired.
The gnawing kind deep inside, soul tired, his entire existence cycling around his never-ending thirst. He could—would love—to drink of her until she had no more to give, then surrender himself to the werewolves and go with her into the unknown. He could. It would be so easy.
He wouldn’t. She was too young, had so much more to experience.
He thought of Lothar Ludvitski, his contact among the werewolves. Lothar’s mate, Danielle, was different from the rest of her kind. She was of a pack of isolated wolves in the US, where females had the ability to choose and mark their own mates, injecting a male with venom and binding him to her. Which Danielle had done to Lothar.
Lothar was home now, behind the walls of his family estate with his mate. Danielle was expecting, and as was common for their kind, her pregnancy would be short but intense. Lothar was unlikely to leave her unprotected. As High Councilor he had access to the Database, a collective mass of information tracking every known vampire on the planet. Lothar was right now watching, waiting for any sign of Theron’s location.
Werewolf or not, if anyone understood Alessandro right now, it would be Lothar.
Kendra opened her eyes, wincing, Alessandro wincing automatically along with her. Yes, he wanted her blood, but he didn’t like hurting her for it. Her eyes slowly became more lucid, and
then she looked at him.
A smile lit her porcelain skin. She tinted pink and looked away. Kendra fumbled with her coat, getting it off finally and shoving it into the back. She brushed her hair aside and felt her neck.
“Sorry,” he said.
“Are you going to say that every time?” She cleared the roughness from her throat.
“Maybe. Does it bother you?”
She shrugged.
“You’re going to be all right.”
“I’m hungry.”
“Then let’s take you to dinner.” He picked up his phone but she took it from him.
“That’s my job.” She yawned, stretching, languidly pressing curves into her purple shirt.
He longed for her. The man wanted her now. The beast was fed. It was Re’Hotep who needed her, but not yet. It would have to wait. She needed time.
“Find something good,” he said. “You need to be fed now.”
“Yes, I know. My stomach won’t let me forget,” she said, looking at the phone, picking through screens. “Did I make a fool out of myself?”
“What do you mean?”
“My throat’s a little sore from screaming.”
He looked at the road, smiling to himself. “I’m not surprised.”
“I didn’t want to cause you any trouble.”
“I can deal with trouble.”
“Maybe I don’t want to be the cause of that trouble.”
“You wouldn’t anyway. It’s not your fault I’m a monster.”
“Alessandro… never mind.”
Oh, but I am, habibti. “Things will be better soon,” he told her. “When we travel the world together, we’ll find places where we can be alone. Then you can make all the noise you want.”
He could feel her embarrassment from her side of the car. Literally. His awareness of her had grown now that he’d fed on her twice. “Ya hayati,” he said.
“What does that mean?”
He had to think for a moment before he could properly translate. “You are my life.”
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